A Pirate is a Pirate
by Aoikami Sarah
Summary: When Luffy was seven, he met Shanks and his life changed, but did it? A Pirate is a Pirate, whether he's raised that way or not. Backstory into Luffy's family and Shanks' connection to it.
1. Return to Fuchsia

**Kaizoku wa Kaizoku desu… A Pirate is a Pirate**

**Part 1 of a 4 part series**

by Aoikami Sarah

_Note: 'Marina', 'Shep', and 'Red Beard' were created by Aoikami Sarah. I've given the Mayor of the name 'Bower' which is another word for anchor._

**Chapter One - Return to Fuchsia**

"Kaizoku!"

The word echoed off of the storefronts of the small port town, as if the world was put on pause, as if the very word 'pirates' was a gunshot signaling change. Once it was said, their lives would suddenly be very different. It had been at least ten years since a pirate ship had moored in the little harbor. People walking along the main street stopped in their tracks. Heads turned, mouths opened.

"Pirates?"

"Really!"

"Alright!"

Many dozens of people turned and headed quickly down to the waterfront. A large ship with a dragon-like figurehead was just docking.

"It's the East Wind!" someone cried.

"Even better!" a woman cheered.

"Someone go order more rum, we're gonna run out real soon with that lot!" a man laughed.

Fuchsia Village was one of those rare, remote ports that welcomed pirates. The revenue they brought into the economy was greatly appreciated by the local businesses despite their outlaw status.

Before a single crew member had set foot on land, a contingent of townspeople had gathered bearing gifts, business cards and invitations to sample local wares. Finally, the crew and its captain emerged.

A cry went up from the crowd. "Welcome back!"

A slightly hunched-over middle-aged man stepped forward as the captain stepped on to land.

"Good to see you again, Mr. Mayor," the captain greeted him.

"Can't say the same for you, Shanks," the Mayor grumbled. "Where's your useless brother?"

Shanks smiled sadly. "Shep is dead."

The Mayor lowered his head slightly so that his eyes were hidden by the brim of his white and blue striped hat. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Shanks stepped closer to the mayor. "Do me a favor and don't spread that around, ok?" he asked quietly.

The Mayor looked up, but now he couldn't see Shanks' eyes. "Don't tell me…"

"Please? Let me continue to be the one she hates."

"For her sake, I will," the older man grumbled.

"Thanks, Bower," he whispered and moved on. "Come on men, liquor awaits!"

His crew cheered and they and the townspeople migrated to the nearest tavern. Bower looked up at the figurehead on Shanks' ship and clenched his fists. "Damn you, Shanks. Damn you, Captain Shep. How could you…?"

**.X.**

After only a few days, it was clear which tavern the pirates were partial too. At first Party's Bar's new owner, a young woman named Makino, had been terrified. The last time they came through she was only a child and had no recollection of them. Now she was an adult. Now she owned her own tavern. Now she was growing used to the boisterous crew of the East Wind. She was also enjoying the way they drained her supplies, but paid up every night in gold pieces the likes she had never seen before. These were good men. So far nothing had been broken. At first, this was one of her biggest fears, but she was sure that the captain, who was also in her estimation a good man, would pay for any damage incurred.

"So how long will you be staying with us here in Fuchsia, Captain Shanks?" Makino asked leaning over the bar with her chin in her hand late one evening.

"I'm not sure," he replied. He kept one eye on his raucous crewmates while he spoke. "We haven't been in the area in a while. It seems like a good place to base out of. Might be a while. Can you handle that, Miss Makino?"

She blushed at his formality. "Oh, I suppose."

"That's good." Shanks stood and put on his cloak. "Benny," he called to his first mate. "You're in charge." The tall, dark haired slugger was laughing at something a rather corpulent pirate to his left had accidentally eaten. Three other crewmembers were giving him the Heimlich maneuver. Shanks moved his head to the side, easily avoiding the large glass table-candle as it shot out of his mouth. "Lucky, don't eat the whole damn joint, ok?"

"Sorry, Shanks," Lucky Roo coughed.

Ben Beckman composed himself. "Where ya headed, Cap'n?"

"Just thought I'd go for a stroll. Don't wait up for me."

"Understood," Beckman said and nodded. He and Lucky watched him leave.

"What's that all about?" another crewmember with unruly black hair asked.

"Think he's gonna go see her?" Lucky asked quietly.

"Probably," Beckman answered.

"Who?"

They both grabbed the nosy gunman. "Who do you think, dumbass?" Lucky hissed. "Who's been on his mind since we decided to come back around this way?"

Beckman gave Lucky a slight slap on the back of the head. "Who's the dumbass? Yasopp wasn't with us back then, Lucky."

Yasopp looked from one man to the other. "Oh… This is something from way-back-when, huh?"

"Captain…" Lucky sighed. "I hope he knows what he's doin'. I wouldn't go near her. She'd tear my head off if she saw me. Can't imagine what she's gonna do to him."

Yasopp swallowed. "Is this woman human?"

Beckman glared down at Yasopp. "Don't you talk shit about her."

The gunner inched away. "Yipe. Ok. Tell ya what, how 'bout I don't know what's going on and I should just go sit over there and have a drink and you two can forget I mentioned anything, sound good?"

They nodded and Yasopp slinked off to another table, just as happy to get further intoxicated than to be let in on whatever big secret they were keeping.

Unbeknownst to them, the establishment's owner heard every word and was not content to forget it. Makino stared at the door Shanks had left through for a moment before going into the back to get more rum.__

More to come...


	2. The Bearer of Bad News

**Kaizoku wa Kaizoku desu… A Pirate is a Pirate**

**Part 1 of a 4 part series**

by Aoikami Sarah

**Chapter Two – The Bearer of Bad News**

Shanks walked slowly up the main street, away from the beach, away from the tavern and into the countryside. An almost full moon lighted his path. He followed a little dirt road for about a mile. Tiny farm houses dotted the country-side. Between cow pastures in the foothills of the rolling mountains sat a little white house with a white picket fence - the kind you read about in fairy tales. A small vegetable patch filled the yard on the eastern side. A clothes line ran between trees on the west. Light from a fireplace danced inside. Even from outside, Shanks could hear laughter. He stood and watched the shapes of people through the distorted antique glass windows for a minute before approaching the door. He hesitated just before knocking.

"I'll get it!" a young voice called from close by. Shanks swallowed and prepared himself, but nothing happened. He was about to knock again when at last it cracked open.

"What do you want?" she asked quickly and quietly. Her eyes peered through the crack and narrowed.

"Marina, I…" he said, taking off his treasured straw hat and holding it in his hands in front of him, respectfully. Her piercing blue eyes followed the hat, widened a bit, then darted back up to his face.

"How dare you come to this house?"

"Please talk to me, Marina."

"Go away."

"But…"

"I have no business with pirates. Leave, now."

Shanks gripped the hat tightly. He was afraid it would come to this. "Shep's dead."

The silence was so great he could hear her exhale. "So that's why you're wearing the hat…" Marina's eyes lowered. "Is that all you have to say?"

"No, but that was all that would get your attention, isn't it?"

The eyes snapped back up again, staring, perforating him with hatred. "What does it matter? The both of you were dead to me long ago."

Shanks' stomach turned as the door, which had never been more than two inches open, slammed in his face. All the things he had been planning to say to her evaporated from his mind. For a moment, he was lost. There was no way he would be able to reach her now, he was sure. There was no bringing Shep back to her, which would have been the only way he could ask for her forgiveness. Shanks put his brother's hat on and walked slowly back to town.

**.X.**

Marina leaned against the door and squeezed her eyes shut. She stood about five feet eight inches tall. A simple country dress hung loosely off of her slight frame. Some of her long, auburn hair escaped the bun on top of her head. She opened her clear, blue eyes and stared at the crackling fire across the room.

"Moma?" a small voice called quietly from the top of the stairs head of her.

"Mother, is everything alright?" another, slightly older voice asked.

"Yes, yes. It's alright boys. It was just someone looking for directions."

The older boy came down, followed by his brother, clutching his shirt. "Please, Mother, you should let me answer the door this late at night," the ten year old advised. His black eyes were serious and intense as he approached her. He had the same black hair as his younger brother with a smattering of freckles across his cheeks.

"Thank you, Ace." Their mother smiled and put her hand on his head. "I know you're the man of the house, but sometimes a mother needs to protect her children."

"I was gonna answer it, Moma," the little one whined.

"You're too little," his brother reminded him. Indeed, he was only four feet tall and appeared much younger than Ace.

She put her other hand on the little one's head. "Luffy, why don't you go in the kitchen and get out that new package of cookies?"

The worried frown on his little face vanished. "Really!"  
Marina nodded and the seven year old skipped happily into the kitchen. She went to her rocking chair and nearly collapsed into it. Ace seated himself on the sofa across from her. The fire crackled in the heavy silence.

"Please don't stare at me, Ace. It's not polite."

"I… I'm sorry!" he gasped and averted his eyes to the braided rug on the floor "Mother, if that man was just a stranger, why did you slam the door?"

She let out a slow breath. "He was rude. That's all. Really. It's nothing. I'm just tired, Ace."

When Luffy returned with a plate of cookies balanced precariously over two glasses off milk for he and his brother to share, their mother was all smiles as if nothing had happened.

**.X.**

As Beckman came out of the bathroom, he almost collided with Yasopp.

"We got a problem! The captain's gone back to the ship!"

"So," he drawled, a few sheets to the wind. "It's his ship."

"With three bottles of 180 proof!"

Beckman swallowed deep. "He went alone?"

Yasopp nodded. "I didn't think anything of it till Lucky actually put down mutton to go after him."

Beckman relaxed a little. "So Lucky's gonna keep an eye on him. It's ok, Yaso."

"But, the Cap'n never drinks alone…"

"He's probl'y got a good reason." The first mate noticed that he didn't look reassured. "I gotta stay here and keep an eye on this lot. Why don't you go keep Lucky company."

"Thanks, Benny," Yasopp clapped him on the arm and jogged out of the tavern.

The moon was just setting into the ocean. Lucky leaned his bulk against the railing, causing it to sag slightly just outside the captain's quarters. Yasopp ambled up the stairs and joined him. He looked out at the moon's dancing reflection on the water.

"Is he ok?" Yasopp asked quietly.

Lucky sighed heavily. "Of course not. When does he ever shut himself off from the rest of us?"

"Never," Yasopp agreed.

"Well, no," Lucky mused. "Last time was before you joined up. Back a few years ago when Cap'n Shep was killed."

"The former captain…" Yasopp whispered. "Shanks' brother, right?"

Lucky nodded. "It took us months to get him back to close to normal. He ain't been right since. Not as carefree as he used to be. Sometimes I miss that Shanks, the young crazy Shanks. I just hope this time won't be so hard."

Yasopp made a worried face. "What happened this time?"

Lucky worked his mouth around, trying to decide what he could tell Yasopp. "Well," he sighed again. "He went to visit Cap'n Shep's widow."

"Oh no, is she dead too?"

"Nah, I doubt that. He wouldn't be hidin' like this if he didn't talk to her. I dunno what happened but it weren't good. I wish we didn't come here at all. No use digging up what's done."

Yasopp pursed his lips and nodded.

**.X.**

The following afternoon the crew was anxious. They milled around the ship, each of them had the same question on his mind. Beckman observed the sun sink past the noon hour and finally opened the door.

Shanks was lying on his bed with his hat over his eyes. The three rum bottles lay empty on the floor. This amount of alcohol consumed in such a short time would have killed an average man, but Shanks was far from average.

"Cap'n," Ben cleared his throat. "The crew's worried 'bout you."

Shanks didn't move, but he did speak. "Go away," he muttered from under the hat.

Beckman rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. "Get up you sorry sack of shit!" He grabbed the blanket under him and yanked it. Shanks was air born in moments and a comical look crossed his face before he crashed to the floor.

"Ow! Ben! You coulda poked me or said 'please' or something a little more… ughhhhh," he groaned as his hangover came throbbing to life.

"I heard from the townsfolk that she's alive and well, so I don't feel bad kicking your ass."

Shanks put his hat back on and realized blearily that he was wearing the same clothes he had been wearing yesterday. "Yeah. She's just fine. What little I saw of her looked fine… Just her eyes _glaring_ at me through a crack in the door _this big_," he groaned and held up his fingers to show Ben the size of the crack.

"She still hates us, huh?"

"Oh yeah."

Ben folded his arms. "So, that's over. When do we leave?"

Shanks sat down on his bed and rubbed his temples. "Not yet."

Beckman sighed. "Whatever."

"Humor me, Benny. We'll head out to sea soon but I wanna make Fuchsia Village our base for a while." Shanks flopped back down. "Tell the guys I'll be out later. Gotta sleep this off some more."

"Yes Sir." Ben answered with a smirk. He picked up the empty bottles and left him to rest.__

More to come...


	3. Luffy Meets Shanks

**Kaizoku wa Kaizoku desu… A Pirate is a Pirate**

**Part 1 of a 4 part series**

by Aoikami Sarah

**Chapter Three – Luffy Meets Shanks**

Lucky hummed happily to himself the next day as he came out of the butcher's shop. On his back he carried a package several times larger than himself.

"Holy crap, Lucky. Think you got enough meat?" Beckman asked, lighting a cigarette. He pushed away from the side of the building he'd been leaning on and joined him.

"Eh. This'll do for a while," Lucky replied and they started back to the ship.

"Excuse me?" a young voice called from behind. The pirates turned and saw a boy with black hair looking up at them. "I'm sorry to trouble you, but have you seen my ZZZZZZZ…"

"Wha! He fell asleep standin' there!" Lucky shouted. Beckman nearly swallowed his cigarette. "Whaddawedo?"

"Relax," Ben assured him, sweating a little. "I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for…"

The boy suddenly woke and continued. "Have you seen my brother? He looks like me, only super short and without freckles."

"Nuh… Uh, nope. Sorry, kid." Beckman answered for Lucky who was still stammering.

"Thank you very much," Ace said and bowed slightly. "Good day."

Beckman slapped Lucky's arm to bring him out of his trance. "Nice kid," he muttered. "Weird, but nice."

Just a few blocks away, Lucky and Beckman met up with their captain and decided to check in on the rest of the crew, camped out as usual at Party's Bar.

"The Cap'n's lookin' better today," Lucky commented.

"He'd be even better if we were far from here," Beckman growled.

"I'm standing right here!" Shanks whapped Ben's arm. "Look, I appreciate your concern, boys," he muttered. "But we'll leave when I'm good and ready to." He parted the doors and the laughter from inside grew louder.

On one of the tables in the center of the room a young boy stood with his back to them. He did something the captain couldn't see and sent another peel of laughter through the crowd of pirates gathered around him. Makino looked relieved to see Shanks. She watched him as he came up to the bar and was about to say something, but was interrupted.

"Oh man Cap'n, you gotta check this crazy kid out!"

Shanks groaned. "What's a little kid doing in a bar? I hate little…" He stopped and stared, hard at the child making faces and amusing the hell out of his crew.

"Hahahah!" Lucky laughed. "That kid's nuts!" He noticed Beckman and Shanks were silent. "What? You guys really hate kids that much?"

"Can't be…" Beckman whispered. "He looks just like…"

Lucky peeked over his dark-lens goggles to see better. "Whoa. He looks like… You mean this kid is…!"

Shanks stretched his arm out to silence them. "Not a word to the brat or I'll kill you." The seriousness of his command ran their blood cold.

"Ye… Yes Captain," they replied.

Shanks approached the table. "Hey!" he shouted. "Kid! Don't you know better than to hang around in bars!"

"No," he said simply. "This is Auntie Makino's place. I come here all the time."

Shanks clenched his fists. "You shouldn't be so friendly with pirates."

"Why? They're friendly!" he said with a grin.

"That's not what I meant…" he growled. "Get out of here, kid! What'll your mother say if she finds out what you're up to!"

Shanks' crew went silent and stared at the scene.

"'That's nice'." The boy replied. "That's what she always says. When I catch a fish with Ace or pick her some flowers or find a really cool looking rock or…"

"She never told you to avoid pirates, or, any specific pirates for that matter?"

He looked confused. "No. I don't think Moma even knows what pirates are."

To everyone's surprise, Shanks started to laugh.

"Hey! What's so funny about my mom!" the boy cried with a pout. "Who are you, anyway?"

"Not a _damn_ thing funny 'bout your mom, kid. My name's Redhair Shanks," he said taking off his hat and bowing. "It's nice to meet you, Monkey D. Luffy."

Luffy's jaw hung open. "Wowwwww! How'd you guess my name!"

"You gotta know these things when you're a pirate captain."

"Cooooooooool!" Luffy cheered.

**.X.**

Ace returned home just before dinner time, but without his little brother. He apologized repeatedly for losing him. Marina tried her best to hide her worry, but turning her rocking chair to the window and watching for his appearance didn't help. At last, Luffy came skipping up the lane. The door opened and Marina hurried out.

"Luffy!"

"Moma! I had the best time today!" He ran into her arms and hugged her as she knelt down to his level. Her brows knitted together. "Moma?" he asked after a few seconds.

"Luffy, don't ever stay out so late again." Ace said, standing in the doorway watching them. "You worried Mother sick."

Marina didn't cry. She held her son tightly. "It's alright. You're ok. That's all I need."

Luffy put his head on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Moma. The pirates are so fun, I forgot to come home."

She couldn't suppress the gasp. Her heart raced. "Pirates?"  
"The town is full of them," Ace said.

"I see…" Finally, she let him out of the hug.

"They're really super nice and I got to hang out with them at Auntie Makino's all day!"

"So that's where you were…" Ace grumbled.

Marina's eyes were on the ground. "Moma?"

She sighed heavily but looked up at Luffy and smiled. "That's nice."__

More to come...


	4. The Red Hair Brothers

**Kaizoku wa Kaizoku desu… A Pirate is a Pirate**

**Part 1 of a 4 part series**

by Aoikami Sarah

**Chapter Four – The Red Hair Brothers**

The following day, Ace and Luffy walked down into town after lunch. Ace watched Luffy enter Party's Bar, greeted warmly by the pirates' cheers and clenched his fists. Relaxing, he pulled an envelope out of his sweatshirt pocket and continued down the street.

Bower, the town's mayor was at home enjoying a nice cup of tea. He sighed and glanced out the window. The smile left his lips as his eyes rested on the ship moored in the harbor. He was glad to be distracted by the knock on his door.

"Oh, Ace. What a pleasant surprise!" Bower let the boy in. "To what do I owe this visit?" He motioned to a chair and bid Ace sit down.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor," Ace said with a bow. "I've brought a letter from my mother."

Bower was glad his back was turned so that Ace wouldn't see him clench his teeth. "Oh? And how is she keeping? I dare say it's been three months since last I saw her."

"Well…" Ace mumbled, pulling the letter out of his pocket. "She's well," he said with a fake smile.

Bower nodded and muttered 'good' a few times as he took the letter from him.

"If you please, Sir. My mother has instructed that I wait for your reply before I leave."

The Mayor looked up from studying the envelope. "Oh? Very well." He slit it open with a small knife. Inside was a letter and another envelope folded to fit into the first. His eyes flicked across the page. "Hm…" Bower grumbled as he looked up. "Tell your dear mother I will do as she has instructed. If you would, also tell her she is missed here in town?"

Ace bowed again. "Of course." He was shown out and when the door had closed behind him, he made a face. "Boy," he muttered to himself. "Bower-san always does what Mother wants… Some Mayor, getting' pushed around by a woman who's not even his wife." He grinned.

Clouds filed in from the mountains behind the little town. Bower slipped the letter into his shirt and meandered down to the harbor. Relief and agitation played the fiddle in his chest as he noticed Lucky coming down the dock. Setting his jaw, the Mayor approached him.

"Hey! Bower!" Lucky chimed. "How ya doin' man?"

Bower frowned. "I've been worse." His eyes focused on the ship's figure head. "Is your captain aboard?"

Lucky's smile drooped. "Yeah. Doin' paperwork inside." He hooked his thumb towards the ship. "You know where to go." Bower clenched his teeth and climbed the gang plank. "Been a while since you been on board, ain't it?" Lucky said with his back to him. "Don't get all nostalgic, now."

The Mayor closed his eyes.

**.X.Flashback.X.**

The first time Bower set foot on the East Wind was with the intent to take it over. He was 15 years younger and boarded with a knife clenched between his teeth.

"Avast!" his captain cried. "Leave no prisoners!" He followed the long green overcoat with the wide shoulders and red hair and beard streaming behind as the crew leapt onto the deck and battled with the enemy.

Once aboard, Bower slashed his way through a few men with his favorite weapon, the Bully-Stick: a four-foot billy-club made of iron. He came around and headed up the stairs where he was met by a large man wielding a shotgun like a bat. They grinned at each other's choice of weapon and went head on.

On the port side of the ship, two men with dark red hair fought back to back. Bower kept his eyes on them, noting the one with the straw hat seemed to be their captain. It wasn't long before his own captain found him.

"Shep! Look out!" the younger red haired man called as the enemy brandished a sword of sizable girth.

"I got this one, Shanks!" the captain called back and put his fists up.

"Yeah! Go for it, Red Beard!" Bower cheered.

"Hey!" Beckman shouted and nearly took his head off. "Fight's over here, Shorty!"

"Shorty!" Bower snarled and flew at him.

Red Beard, whose oversized hat and unruly reddish brown hair and beard gave a wild appearance to, lunged at Shep. The man with the straw hat laughed as he danced around the over-dressed pirate, dodging the attacks.

"What's so funny?" Red Beard growled.

"You're hardly trying!" Shep replied with a foxy grin.

"You should talk, you're unarmed! Take me seriously!"

"Ha!" Faster than just about anyone on the ship could see, he punched the enemy in the stomach. Red Beard tried to recover and get away quickly. Shep spun and kicked. Everyone watching moaned as his foot connected with the enemy's groin.

Red Beard grinned under the bushy beard, unaffected and grabbed Shep's ankle, turning it to send him crashing to the ground. As he fell, Shep reached out to pull the scraggly pirate down in the hopes that he could offset his fall and remain standing. His hand grasped a fistful of beard, but still, he fell.

"Captain!" Bower cried.

Both Shep and Red Beard were too shocked for a moment to move. Shep lay on his back on the deck clutching the false beard in his hand.

"A woman captain!" Lucky Roo shouted and punched out another enemy.

'Red Beard' grinned. Her clear blue eyes stared at Shep. He stared back, tossed the beard aside and leapt to his feet. At last, he drew his cutlass. The blades clashed and they pressed against each other.

"Now I know why you're holding back," Shep said quietly.

"Now you are, too," she muttered, her wild grin exposed. "I surrender."

"You can't do that."

"Oh no?"

"No. Because _I_ surrender."

She threw back her head and laughed. Finally, they put down their swords. "Cease and desist, mateys!" she cried.

"What!" Bower's jaw hung open.

"You heard her," Shep chimed in. "This fight is over!" He looked to his opponent. "What was your aim, Captain Red Beard?"

"Another ship. I want to build a fleet."

"Very progressive," he said and nodded. "A woman of what, seventeen a captain of a fleet?"

"Twenty, thank you."

"Twenty!" he laughed. "How bout a ship _and_ a crew?"

"A partnership?"

He nodded and put his hand out. She smiled and took it. "Name's Redhair Shep."

"I'm Marina. Let's kick some ass together!"__

More to come...


	5. Luffy Gets Scarred

**Kaizoku wa Kaizoku desu… A Pirate is a Pirate**

**Part 1 of a 4 part series**

by Aoikami Sarah

**Chapter Five – Luffy Gets Scarred**

Bower put his hand on the stair rail he had clutched fifteen years ago in shock as the deal was made. His captain had fallen in love at first sight with the dashing Captain Shep. They would spend the next few years as a two ship-fleet. Bower trudged to Shanks' cabin door and knocked.

"Come in," Shanks called. When the person who entered didn't say anything, he looked up from the ship's log. "Bower…!" Shanks chimed, a glad smile spreading.

Bower frowned and handed him the letter. "I am only a messenger."

Shanks' smile fell. "I see." He took the letter and thanked him as Bower turned and left. The Captain leaned back in his chair and ripped the end of the envelope off. Unfolding the brief letter, Shanks let out a long sigh.

-'I cannot tell you what to do. I cannot and will not discourage my sons from whatever path in life they choose. But if I find that you have encouraged them to go to sea, I will do my utmost to have you thrown out of this town forever.'-

No 'Dear Shanks', no 'please', no 'thank you'; just a clear threat he knew with the town's Mayor as her former first mate she could make good on. Shanks pursed his lips. "Sorry, Marina." He crumpled the note. "I'm not ready to say good-bye just yet."

**.X.**

The East Wind made Fuchsia Village its port-of-call through the summer, coming and going on sorties in the area. Summer became fall then before they knew it, spring became summer again.

Still Shanks had not seen Marina. Her sons did all of her errands. Occasionally Ace would join Luffy at the tavern.

One such day, the crew had just returned from a month-long voyage. With Ace at his side, Luffy made an announcement.

"I'm gonna come out with you guys next time you go out to sea!"

The crew paused, shocked at his resolve, but quickly broke into laughter. Ace slapped his own forehead.

"What's so funny!" Luffy shouted. "I wanna be a pirate, too!"

"Kid," Yasopp said. "You're only eight!"

"So?"

"Luffy…" Ace groaned. "You can't be a pirate."

"Why not, Ace?" he said with a pout. His brother was the only one he would listen to.

"You're too little and you can't swim."

Yasopp and the others lost it. "Oh my God, you can't even _swim_!"

"I can be a pirate and not swim!" he whined.

When he recovered from laughing Yasopp called to the others. "Hey, why don't we take him aboard and show him what it's really like to be a pirate?"

Ace looked worried. "Excuse me, but I really don't think that would be…" His head went down on the table with a smack. "Zzzzzzzz…"

"Well, he's spoken!" Yasopp grabbed Luffy and hoisted him up onto his shoulders. "You might not be able to be a pirate, but we can give you a tour of a real pirate ship!" The others cheered and marched down to the docks.

Yasopp toured Luffy around on his shoulders through the sleeping quarters, galley, brig and decks of the East Wind.

"The Jolly Roger is perhaps the most important of all the things on a pirate ship," he instructed. "Unlike normal ships, only pirate ships bear the skull and cross bones." He pointed up to the Redhair Shanks flag. The skull on the design had three lines across its left eye, like Shanks' scar. "A flag is the typical way to display this symbol, but I think ships with it drawn huge on the sail are _really_ cool."

Luffy stared from Yasopp's shoulders up at the flag. "Coooool! Hey, Yaso?" he asked, wrapping his arms around the top of his head. "How did Shanks get his scar?"

"I dunno. I've never known him without it. Heh. That's another thing that most pirates have: a cool scar, usually somewhere people can always see it. It says - 'I'm tough!'"

"Coool!" Luffy cheered. "Do you have a scar?"

"Well… No." Yasopp made a face.

"I got one on my knee!" the boy chimed.

"Hahahaha! You call this a scar!" Yasopp looked to the left at Luffy's knee. "That's just a scratch. Wha'd you do, fall off your bike? That's so cute. Reminds me of my cute son back home. He'd be about your age." Someone from across the ship called out for Yasopp to help with something. He put Luffy down and patted him on the head. "You stay put, kiddo. I'll be right back."

"Ok!" Luffy agreed and as soon as Yasopp was out of sight, wandered off.

The boy looked through the deck rails at the water below. "Fooey," he grumbled. "I can so be a pirate without knowin' how to swim. I'll show them!"

"Captain!" someone called as Shanks came out of his cabin. "That anchor kid's standing on the figurehead!"

Shanks' jaw dropped. "What!" His heart went into his throat as he raced to the bow. Luffy stood there, holding a knife and grimacing. Shanks imagined the fires burning in his mother's eyes when she would inevitably hear of this stunt and have him killed. "Ok," he muttered to himself. "No big thing. Play it cool, Shanks." He put his hands into his pockets and tried to look relaxed.

"I'm ready to be a pirate!" Luffy shouted. "I'll show you how tough I am!" The boy clutched the knife tightly in his little hand.

'He's bluffing,' Shanks assured himself. "Get _on_ with it!" he cheered. "Whatever it is you're doing…" He felt certain that if Luffy were to fall, he could rush in and save him should the need arise. He didn't expect what came next.

The boy grasped the knife in both hands, turned it around and stabbed himself in the face. Everyone stared in disbelief for a moment till he cried out in pain then rushed to get him down off the figurehead.

Two stitches and a promise to feed him till he exploded later, Luffy had stopped crying. Shanks kept an eye on him, but let Yasopp handle the situation. Shanks urged Luffy to head home, but the boy demanded Shanks make good on his promise of food. The crew embraced any reason to go to Party's Bar and decided that they should go, feed him, and toast his so-called 'bravery'.

The Tavern was hopping with mirthful pirates. Shanks leaned against the bar and did his best to appear relatively unaffected.

"A toast!" someone cried. "To Luffy's courage!"

Makino handed three men their orders and asked their captain if she could get him anything. He hardly noticed she was standing there until she spoke. To her surprise, rather than alcohol, Shanks asked for something off the menu and a tall glass of milk. She wondered what could cause such a change in his diet, but only had to follow his eyes to the band-aid over Luffy's cheek. Makino smiled. "Coming right up!"

"…I wanna be a pirate too!" Luffy shouted.

Makino watched as Shanks' fists clenched. Worry flashed across his face quickly before being replaced by a wide grin. "You! A Pirate! Never!"

'So that's it…' Makino shook her head as she went into the kitchen to place Shanks' order. "Men are so dumb. If he's so concerned about Luffy's safety, why doesn't he just say so?" she muttered to herself.

"Because," a customer's voice startled her. "He _is_ a man. If he came right out and said it, Luffy would think he was soft and wouldn't listen to anything he said _at all_." Beckman crushed out a cigarette.

Makino's brows pinched together. "Well, that's stupid. The poor boy will have a scar for life because of that attitude!"

Beckman flexed his bicep. "What's so wrong with scars?" he said with a wink.

She rolled her eyes and went into the kitchen. "Ugh… Men."__

More to come...


	6. Marina Has Had Enough

**Kaizoku wa Kaizoku desu… A Pirate is a Pirate**

**Part 1 of a 4 part series**

by Aoikami Sarah

**Chapter Six – Marina Has Had Enough**

Outside, Ace strolled down the street with his hands in his pockets. "That slow-in-the-head brother of mine..." he muttered aloud. "He's probably in the tavern again." He frowned and looked up at the position of the sun. "I better make sure he's not gonna be late." Ace rounded the corner and watched as a man leading a large group of what appeared to be pirates or bandits or some sort of out-law kick the swinging door of the tavern completely off its hinges.

Ace made a face. "Oh for pity's sake. How much do you wanna bet Luffy's in there?" He debated trying to go in and get him out, but decided that if Luffy was there, so were a bunch of his well-armed friends. He sat down on the porch-front of the butcher's shop across the street, watched the tavern doors and waited. After ten long minutes, at last the bandits emerged, laughing, but not bloody or angry. Ace breathed a sigh and headed across the street.

The scene inside was typical. The only thing out of the ordinary was Makino cleaning up something that had spilled and pestering Shanks, asking if he and Luffy were alright. 'I don't wanna know, I don't wanna know…' Ace repeated internally. His brother's eyes were red-rimmed. Luffy pouted and stared at his hands. When he spotted Ace he rubbed the back of his hand over his eyes and gave him a big smile.

Ace breathed a sigh of relief. "Come on, Luffy. We'll be late."

As they left, Shanks approached his first mate.

"That was different," Beckman smirked, lighting another cigarette.

"Must be nice to be hammered right about now," Shanks moaned. Beckman handed him his bottle and the captain sucked down a few shots. "That's it," he said, handing it back. "We're out of here."

"Just like that?" Beckman asked.

"You can't be _that_ drunk." Shanks eyed him. "When Marina finds out what happened today, we're as good as chucked outta here. Might as well announce we're already on the way."

"You're the captain," Ben muttered and put the bottle to his lips, disappointed to find that Shanks had drained it.

"Yeah. I am."

"Hey, Ace!" Luffy called, jogging to catch up with his older brother's longer legs. "Wanna see something cool?"

"If it's the gash under that band-aid, then no."

"Nope. Somethin' else!"

"What?" he asked, not stopping or turning around.

Luffy jogged in front of him. "Pull my finger!"

"Um, no?"

"Ok ok, pull my arm, or my foot or my face!"

Ace stopped. "You get clonked on the head or something?"

"No!" Luffy laughed. "Come on, Ace. Please!" he grinned, pouring on the eight-year-old-kid charm.

Ace sighed heavily. "You asked for it." He grabbed either side of Luffy's face and pulled. The cheeks stretched out to Ace's full arm-span of nearly five feet. Alarmed and frightened, Ace let go and the flesh snapped back, sending Luffy into a giggling fit.

"That's not funny!" Ace hollered. "There's something seriously wrong with you!"

"No there isn't! I ate the Gomu Gomu fruit!" he cackled.

"Fruit…? You mean, one of the Devil Fruits! Then you're… you're a…!"

"I'm a Rubber Man!" he crowed.

Ace fell down on his butt and looked up at his proud younger brother. He took his arms in his hands. "Luffy, do you realize what you've done?"

"I didn't know what I was eating. I thought the pirates we're giving me a treat."

"The pirates gave it to you…" Ace moaned. "Luffy… Mother is gonna freak out when she hears this!"

"No she won't. She'll say, 'that's nice' like she always does."

"Not for something like this." Ace stood, looked towards their little house and bit his lip. "She's going to be very upset."

Marina didn't say 'that's nice.' She fussed slightly over Luffy's condition. She seemed more concerned about the cut on his face than the devil-fruit's effect. They had dinner and went to bed as usual. The next morning, Luffy got ready go out on his errands. His brother cautioned him to avoid the pirates because of the drama the day before. Luffy agreed, grudgingly, and went outside. The sun shone down, birds chirped and all seemed right with the world. Ace hung back and watched him go; his own errands would take him further into the country to buy milk, cheese and eggs directly from a neighboring farm. He turned to get his hat from the coat rack and was surprised to find his mother directly behind him.

"Mother…"

"Excuse me, Ace. I'm going out."

He stared, unblinking at her. "Out? Like… Not-just-in-the-yard out?"

"Yes. I'm going into town," she replied. She looked out at the sunshine, the light making her pale irises seem white.

Ace frowned. "I'm coming with you."

"You have errands to do," she reminded him quietly.

"And I am the man of the house. I must protect you. I'm coming with you."

Shocked, Marina looked down at her oldest and more responsible son. He always did as he was told. He was always so helpful to her. "Ace…" She looked down on him and smiled. "Alright, if you insist."

Ace held his mother's hand and looked ahead. His eyes were narrowed and serious under the sunshine. As they walked, he squeezed her hand tighter, fretting. They ambled down the dirt road, but only a few hundred feet into their journey and already his mother was short of breath. Ace tried to read her face, but from the upward angle he couldn't see her eyes clearly.

"Ace," Marina said softly with a smile. "Careful. You're hurting my hand."

Shocked, Ace let go. "I'm sorry!" he cried.

"It's ok," she said, not breaking her stride.

"Mother…" Ace began. "Must you really go see the pirates yourself?"

Her shoulders slumped a little. "Who said anything about pirates?"

"I'm not as naïve as you wish I was. Because of Luffy you're going to have words with the pirates."

"Is there anything strange about a mother trying to protect her children?"

"There is when she's too ill to make it back home!" Ace stopped and cried out.

"That's nonsense…"

"Mother! Luffy might be oblivious, but I've noticed. You shouldn't walk so far, it won't be good for you!"

Marina stopped, turned, crouched down and reached out for her son. He walked slowly into her arms where she smoothed her hands over his head. "I'm sorry, Ace. Regardless of what condition I'm in, there's someone I must speak to."

"So, have me take a letter to Mr. Mayor again," Ace protested.

"Saaa…" she rolled her eyes. "You knew about that, too, eh? I need to see him in person."

"So have him come here!"

She bowed her head and sighed. "I'll never let him in my house again," she said quietly, her eyes trained on the ground. She stood slowly and continued towards town.

"Mother…" Ace watched her go for a moment then sudden wave of fear came over him. He jogged to catch up.

When they reached the center of town, the normally bustling streets were vacant. The voices of busy people were replaced by the cries of the wounded. Makino gripped the doorframe and played with the hinge that used to hold the left-hand door to her tavern. She watched the dead being taken away and waited for the pirates to return.

"Shanks…" she whispered. "Be careful!"

Her heart skipped a beat when she heard someone shout from further up the street, "Where is Luffy!" in a demanding, authoritative voice.

Makino's blood ran cold. "Oh my God… It's his mother!" Her first instinct was to run and hide, but she stepped down off the porch and hurried towards her. The woman's loose bun of auburn hair shone gold in the sunlight. Her other son clutched her skirts, protectively, not in fear. His eyes surveyed the carnage and didn't look away.

"Ma… Marina?" Makino, who was almost half the other woman's age, stuttered.

"Where is he?" she asked again, turning her fierce eyes on the barkeep.

"The bandits had him. The pirates fought them but their leader got away with him…"

"You are not listening to me," Marina stepped closer. Makino stepped back. "Where is my Luffy!"

Makino lost her ability to speak. She pointed toward the ocean and Marina hurried down to the harbor. The young woman sank to her knees, shaking slightly. Ace stared at her, incredulously. "S… sorry," he muttered and chased after his mother.__

More to come...


	7. Shep Returned To The Sea…

**Kaizoku wa Kaizoku desu… A Pirate is a Pirate**

**Part 1 of a 4 part series**

by Aoikami Sarah

**Chapter Seven – Shep Returned To The Sea…**

The crew of the East Wind milled around and muttered to themselves. Lucky waited for Ben to emerge from the captain's chambers. Yasopp held a softly sobbing Luffy on his knee. Finally, the ship's surgeon and Ben emerged. Luffy looked up to them and snuffed. "Is Shanks gonna be ok?"

"Yeah, kid. Take more than that to hurt Cap'n Shanks." Beckman tousled his hair. To his left, Bower kept a watchful eye on the boy. "Isn't that right, Mr. Mayor?"

Bower grunted and walked to the rail. He watched the waves and lost himself for a moment. On the port side, towards the stern, they heard a commotion.

"Hey!" someone shouted. "You can't come on board, Lady!" a pirate cried out, his voice trailed away as he fell into the water below. Bower turned and gasped. Her hair was down and even in the simple country dress she wore, she exuded authority.

"Captain Marina…" Bower muttered.

"Bower, where's Luffy?" she demanded. Ace hung back on the top of the gang-plank, watching his mother with wide incredulous eyes.

"Moma!" Luffy cried, jumped out of Yasopp's lap and ran into her arms. Briefly, Marina turned back into 'mom' and kissed the top of his head.

"Oh, my little boy! Are you alright!" She held his face in her hands. He was covered with bruises and scrapes and was missing a tooth. She pulled him back into her embrace, picked him up and turned to her former first mate. "Where is Shanks?"

"Before you see him," Bower looked to Beckman and nodded. "You need to know what happened."

Ben nodded back and looked to Marina. She handed Luffy to Bower. "Take Ace and Luffy home."

"Yes Ma'am."

Shanks lay in his bed and stared at the ceiling. His shoulder throbbed with pain - only slightly numbed by the brandy the ship's physician had prescribed him. He drifted off to sleep and the memories flooded in.

**.X.**

Around the table in the East Wind's galley - their favorite meeting room - Shanks leaned back in his chair and put his feet on the table.

"Ok," his brother began and unfurled a map of East Blue with more than a few holes in it. "Where to next?"

Usually, this was when Marina whipped out a knife, tossed it in the air and declared that wherever it landed was where they should go. Shanks looked over at the co-captain of their little fleet. She held her hands in her lap.

"Marina?" Shep asked. "Where to?"

She hesitated, but pointed finally to a harbor to the south. "It's called Fuchsia Village. I've heard from more than one source that they treat pirates like guests and there's no Marine base for miles.

"So, we can take them by surprise, right Cap'n?" Bower asked with a grin.

Shanks stared but said nothing.

"No. You guys are going to drop me off there."

"What!" her first mate choked.

"You're breaking up the fleet?" Shanks asked, taking his feet off the table and sat up.

"No. Not my ship. Just me. You can pick me up again in a few years. I need time to have my baby."

Shanks felt like he was suddenly severely intoxicated. He gripped the edge of the table and looked to his brother for his reaction.

"Marina…" Shep could only just about mouth her name in shock.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"No… Marina, this is great! You're really having my baby!" Shep asked, amazed. She nodded. "Well then I'm coming with you!"

"Shep…" Marina looked over to his brother.

Shanks smiled sadly. "You gotta do what you gotta do, right?"

"Right!" Shep agreed. "And it's not like we'll be gone for good. We'll come back soon as the little bugger can come with us!"

"Right!" Marina cheered, her good spirits restored by Shep's unending enthusiasm.

"Come on, let's go tell the others!" Shep dashed out of the room. Marina followed slowly. Shanks and Bower sat where they were.

"I didn't plan for this to happen," Marina said quietly from the doorway. "I would have gone by myself."

Shanks smiled again. "Hey, what are you apologizing for?"

Bower nodded in agreement. "I will captain our ship. Shanks will captain this one. We will get by until your return, my Captain."

"You guys are the best," she said, fighting back tears and ran after Shep. Shanks sighed and got up to go.

"It is the beginning of the end for us. I told her that to make her happy. I have no plans to pursue this lifestyle without her."

"Don't tell me you got a thing for her too?"

"Too?" Bower raised a brow at Shanks. "Spare me. I am twenty years her senior. Years ago, someone charged me with her care. I will follow her wherever she goes and attempt to insure her safety and happiness." Bower stood. "I know her better than anyone. She will not return to the sea."

Shanks paused before leaving the room. "Maybe it's better that way."

**.X.**

Three years later, Shanks walked up the dusty road to the little house where the people at Party's Bar had told him he could find his friends. Even before he reached the door, he could tell something was amiss. Babies cried and loud, angry voices shouted from inside. He pulled his pistol and ran to the door.

"…who you really care about!" Marina screamed.

Shanks' eyes went wide. He pressed against the door and listened.

"That's not what I'm saying!" his brother shouted back.

"Yes it is! You love the sea more than me, more than Ace, more than Luffy!"

"I just want to go back to the way it was before!"

"If you want that so bad, then go! Go back to your Mother Ocean!"

"Fine! I've had enough of this!"

"Fine!" she screamed. There was a pause. "Why are you still standing there!" Something smashed and shattered. Shanks slowly put his gun away, his hand shaking. "Get Out!" Marina screamed as she threw the door open. Her face was red and tear-stained. Shep's jaw fell as he saw his brother standing in the twilight. For a moment, the sound of a baby crying was all they heard. Marina gasped, covered her face with her hands and ran upstairs to tend to her children.

Shep's shoulders slumped. "Long time no see, little brother." Shanks tried to wrap his brain around what he had just seen. Shep indicated to the couch and he dropped down onto it. The sounds of crying subsided upstairs. Shep ducked into his bed room. There was a warm glow coming from the fireplace. The smell of spice cake lingered in the air and as the baby quieted, the only indication of trouble lay in a smashed coffee mug on the floor. Shep reemerged with a duffle bag and his straw hat.

"You're leaving?" Shanks asked, dazed.

"You heard her, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but…"

"It's been like this for a while. Since before Luffy was born. Just after she had Ace, her attitude changed. She never wants to go back to being a pirate. She doesn't want to do what we had planned together." He turned his eyes up from a picture on the mantle of the three of them, laughing almost five years before. "We can't be together anymore. It's not fair to the boys to have us screaming at each other all the time."

"I'm so sorry…" Shanks whispered. Shep handed him his bag and ascended the stairs.

He knocked on the nursery door. "Marina? Shanks and I are leaving."

There was no answer.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be what you needed me to be…" he said quietly. The silence from the other side of the door was almost unbearable. "I love you. Good-bye."__

More to come...


	8. Marina Says Goodbye

**Kaizoku wa Kaizoku desu… A Pirate is a Pirate**

**Part 1 of a 4 part series**

by Aoikami Sarah

**Chapter Eight – Marina Says Goodbye**

Shanks squeezed his eyes shut. "I'll never get to tell her…" he whispered and drained the last of the brandy. Resting the empty bottle next to the photograph he had taken off the mantle in Marina and Shep's house. The brothers flanked her, immortalized in sepia tone, laughing, arm-in-arm. Someone knocked on his cabin door. He stayed quiet, hoping they would go away.

"Shanks…?"  
His eyes snapped open. "Marina!" She clicked the door shut behind her and leaned against it. "Well…" he laughed lightly. "This is certainly a surprise."

"I had come here to order you to leave immediately," she stated. Her eyes looked ahead. Her hair partially hid her face. "My youngest son's head is irrevocably filled with dreams of becoming a pirate thanks to you. When he came home last night with a knife wound and a Devil's Fruit ability, I had everything I could do to keep from screaming. Instead, I poured that sentiment into the idea to pay you a visit and let you have a piece of my mind once and for all. I was blinded with rage until I reached the harbor and learned that Luffy was in danger."

She paused for a moment, taking shallow breaths as if the very effort of speaking was too much for her. "Since I came here to Fuchsia more than a decade ago, all I have wanted to do was to raise my sons in safety and peace. When I first held Ace in my arms, I wondered how I could possibly take such a fragile thing onto a pirate ship. Then I read that Roger had died…" She lowered her head. "And I resigned from piracy forever. Shep could never understand that. He didn't realize how motherhood had changed me."

Shanks whispered the few words that would come to him. "No. He couldn't," he admitted.

"I never intended to tell you all of that," Marina said, and lifted her head with a soft, sad smile. "I was going to hate you and your brother till I died. Hate you for leaving me, for being able to be something I could no longer be. But I didn't hate you. I hated myself. I'm so sorry, Shanks." To his astonishment, she crouched down to her knees. "I do not expect to be forgiven, and I will never be able to repay you for saving Luffy's life. Please forgive me!" Her tears splashed down onto the wooden floor.

Shanks stretched out his arm and tried to touch her, but she was too far away. "Marina… It's not you who needs forgiveness. It's me." She looked up at his outstretched hand. "I never said one word to Shep to change his mind when I could have. My jealousy has hurt you."

She shook her head. "I should never have come between brothers…"

"That's not what I mean. I was jealous of Shep, not you. I've always loved you, but since my brother won your heart first, I couldn't fight him for you."

She took his hand. Marina did her best to hold back her tears as she allowed him to pull her into an embrace. She rested her head on his chest and gasped in horror. "Shanks! Your arm!"

"It's just a flesh wound," he said with a grin and held her tightly with his right just as he had held her son only an hour before. She broke down and wailed in anguish as he stroked her hair and tried to imagine what his life would had been like had she fallen in love with him rather than Shep. "Everything happens for a reason. I was meant to come here like this and meet Luffy and Ace. I was meant to put those wild dreams in their heads. That's the way fate works. It often goes against what we plan."

She nodded against his chest and quieted. They stayed like that for a moment before she went back to kneeling at his bedside. "This is good-bye," she said with her eyes on her hands which she rubbed together in her lap. Her bare arms were thinner and paler than he remembered. She had always been loud, energetic and strong, but the woman in his room was hardly a shell of her former self.

"I'll be back one day…" Shanks tried to smile to encourage her.

"You might be back, but I'll be gone." Her pale eyes darted across the room, avoiding his. "I've been ill for years now. I won't last through the winter."

Shanks' heart broke. He reached out and touched her face, still damp with tears.

"I know you don't owe me anything, but if you could, when you meet Ace and Luffy again out there on the Grand Line, tell them how proud I would be of them." She touched his hand and stood up shakily. "Good-bye, Shanks." As the door clicked behind her, Shanks put his hand to his face and sobbed quietly before finally falling into an exhausted sleep.

**.X.**

Ace walked ahead of the Mayor, silent and sullen. Bower carried Luffy on his back. The youngster was nodding off to sleep. When he heard soft snoring come from his cargo, Bower stepped up his pace to catch up with his older brother. "Ace, please don't worry about your mother. She can deal with those pirates."

Ace kicked a rock and made a face. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Luffy nod out and shrugged. "I guess if she was a pirate captain, that's so."

Bower's stomach turned a little. "Has she ever told you that before?"

"No. She's never said anything about her past or our dad either. But what I've put together now is that she was once a captain, she knows Captain Shanks and you used to be on her ship since you called her 'Captain' back there." He caught up to the rock again and gave it another careless kick. "I'm pretty observant. Luffy's not. I'm glad he's so clueless. He doesn't realize the painful things going on around him. This is his first taste of pain, seeing his hero lose his arm like that."

"You say that like you've already known pain." Bower marveled at him.

"You've been friends with Mother for a long time, right? Even before we were born, when she was a pirate?" Ace asked, not bothering to look up for a nod. "Luffy was too little, but I remember Father." Bower stopped in his tracks. "That's the pain I feel. I remember the shouting and Mother crying. But I also remember being happy with my father. I've never known what happened, where he went. I don't need to know. I just know that it hurt Mother and that hurt me."

He lowered his head and walked as if being pulled on a chain towards the house. "I'm sure that the pirates have something to do with that pain, but for some reason, no matter how hard I try, I can't hate them." Ace balled his fists. "I want to jump on board a ship and go adventuring just as much as Luffy does, but I can't because I know how much it would hurt Mother."

To his surprise, Bower's hand patted his shoulder. "That's just fine, Son. The blood that flows in your veins is like iron to the magnet of the sea. One day, you and young Luffy will surely sail away from this place, just like your parents before you. Perhaps you will search for Roger's treasure… that would truly be something, that would…" he said wistfully.

Ace stared up at Bower, perplexed. "Mr. Mayor…?"

Bower straightened up and shifted Luffy up a little higher on his back. "Not today of course, perhaps not for years to come. You're but babes, now."

Ace sniffed and did his best not to cry. "Is that really ok? Would Mother really be ok with that?"

"When your mother gets back home, you should talk to her about it." Bower cleared his throat and smiled. "Don't tell her I said so, please. She'll take it out of my hide."

They walked up the path to the door. Ace chuckled. "Yes, yes she will."

"Y… you wouldn't…?"

Ace opened the door. "Rest assured, Mr. Mayor. I'm pretty good at keeping secrets myself."

"So it seems." Bower laughed softly and let Ace close the door behind him.__

More to come...


	9. Shanks Says Goodbye

**Kaizoku wa Kaizoku desu… A Pirate is a Pirate**

**Part 1 of a 4 part series**

by Aoikami Sarah

**Chapter Nine – Shanks Says Goodbye**

A week later, Shanks had recovered and was up and directing his crew as they prepared to leave Fuchsia Village for the last time. He looked around, trying to imprint the surroundings in his brain. He scanned the pedestrians for familiar faces. The Mayor was observing the proceedings from a distance. His eyes met Shanks' and he nodded once before looking away.

"Ah well. I can't expect him to shake my hand, I suppose," Shanks mused. "Better than nothin' though." He grinned and motioned for one of his crewmembers to bring a crate on board with his remaining arm.

"Captain Shanks?" Makino asked as she approached him. "I want to thank you for your patronage. Please accept this as a token of my gratitude," she said as if she had spent all day rehearsing the line and indicated to a crate being wheeled up to the pier. "It's the least I can do."

"Whoa!" Shanks grinned wide, noting the label read 'finest 180 proof rum'. "Thanks, Makino! We had a blast thanks to you," he said with a wink. The tavern owner blushed, bowed and hurried away. "Heheh, even with one arm, I still got it!"

"Hey! You're still here!" an enthusiastic voice piped as feet pounded towards him.

Shanks bit the inside of his lip to keep from smiling too wide. "Yeah, got a problem with that?"

The boy stuck his tongue out at him. "So you really won't be coming back here again?"

"Yup. We've been using Fuchsia for a base for a while, maybe too long. Does that make you sad, Luffy?"

"Well, yeah but I'm not gonna ask ya to take me with ya. I'm gonna become a pirate on my own!"

"That's no good, you're still too little!" It was Shanks' turn to stick his tongue out at him. "There's no way you'll become a pirate!" he taunted him. 'Come on, kid. Show me what you got…' he thought.

"Oh yeah! I will too! And I'll have a better crew than yours and we'll have the _biggest_ treasure in the _whole world_!" As if he wasn't shouting loudly enough already, Luffy took a deep breath and cried out "I'm gonna be the Pirate King!"

His ability to hide his feelings slipped. Shanks smiled proudly. "You're gonna be better than us, eh? Well then…" he said, taking off his straw hat that had been his brother Shep, Luffy's father's hat. "Do me a favor, will ya? Keep this hat safe for me." He placed it on his nephew's head. The boy kept quiet, but Shanks could see the tears rolling down his cheeks from under the brim. "This hat means the world to me," he said, walking away. "Promise me you'll give it back one day when you've become a great pirate." He gave him one last look. Luffy nodded, his face still concealed by the straw hat. Shanks was glad that he didn't raise his head. He wasn't sure if he could keep it together much longer anyway and seeing the boy who looked so much like his brother wearing that hat would have put him over the edge.

Shanks walked up the gang plank and passed his first mate. "That kid's gonna make something of himself," Beckman commented.

"Yeah," Shanks said, his eyes on the ground as he walked. "He acts just like I did when I was a kid…"

Beckman nodded, took his own last look and followed his captain on board. "Weigh the anchor!" he commanded. "Raise the sails! We're off with the tide!"

Luffy stood and held Makino's hand and watched the ship sail into the setting sun. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and smiled, daydreaming of the day when he would do the same.

Shanks was determined not to look back and for the first ten minutes, he did fairly well at it. As the shore fell into the distance and the sea opened up before them he sighed and leaned against the starboard rail. He had spent a year with his nephews and the only woman he had ever loved had forgiven him. He was starting a new chapter in his life, but still, his heart ached. They had almost cleared the sloping cliffs to his left when Beckman approached him. "Captain?" he asked quietly.

"Ya know," Shanks said, letting out a slow breath. "I never actually said good-bye to her."

"I think that's why she's there." Ben pointed to the cliffs. Shanks followed his finger and saw the long flowing red hair and signature oversized green coat of his former captain. Marina stood on the cliff alone and did not wave. Her coat billowed in the sea breeze. Shanks stretched his right arm up over his head and waved it back and forth a few times until she bowed, turned and walked back home.

**.X.**

Epilogue

Eleven years later, Shanks and his crew were making merry in a large bar, blending in well with the other clientele. Lucky slapped him on the back and grinned. "Come on, Cap'n, this round's on me!" he shouted. The barmaid passed him another huge mutton chop over the bar which he tore into, taking half of it in one bite.

"Thanks, Lucky. I could use it."

Beckman looked to the calendar on the wall. "Ohhhh…" he groaned. "It's that day again, is it?"

"What day!" Lucky shouted, oblivious and intoxicated. Beckman slapped the side of his head. "Oh… The day we left Fuchsia Village. Uh… Sorry, Cap'n."

"Excuse me," a man seated at the bar to Beckman's left asked. "Did you say Fu… ZZzzzzzzzzz…" His head dropped down onto his plate.

"Whaaaa! He fell asleep!" Lucky shouted.

Shanks leaned around his portly comrade and stared at the orange cowboy hat. "No way…" he whispered.

Before they could try to help him, he woke up and straightened, brushing rice off of his face. "Did you say Fuchsia Village?" The three men gawked at him. Slowly, recognition came over him. "No way! Shanks!"

"Ace!" Shanks jumped down off his stool and laughed. "Holy crap how ya been!" His eyes grew wide when Ace stood up, a few inches tall than he.

"Can't complain," he grinned and bowed respectfully. "It's good to see you again." At Shanks' urging, Ace joined them for some serious drinking.

Shanks watched Beckman pretend to not pass out and Lucky dance with Yasopp. He leaned against the bar and drained another beer. Ace narrowed his eyes and imagined that he was a child again. He pouted slightly.

"Have you seen Luffy lately?" Shanks asked.

"Yeah, actually. Just a little while ago in Arubasta."

"I heard he took out Crocodile, even though the Marines are claiming responsibility. He's becoming legendary. Since I haven't seen him since we left, I can't imagine the little boy I knew beating the crap out of a Shichibukai. It's mind blowing."

"He's something else," Ace grinned and handed Shanks another brew. They silently toasted the future Pirate King. "So. I suppose it's my duty then to inform you of my mother's passing."

Shanks took a long draught of his beer before answering. "Seems that way. I'm sorry for your loss," he said simply.

"Thank you." Ace put his hat back on.

"Your mother told me to tell you…" Shanks looked Ace up and down. His physique, tattoos and body language all told Shanks that he was doing just fine as a pirate, especially since he wore the mark of White Beard on his back. "She's just as proud of you as I am."

Ace grinned with his eyes closed, nodded and sucked down the last of his beer. "If I see Luffy again, shall I say hello for you?"

"Please."

Ace nodded, waved to Beckman, Lucky and Yasopp and left the bar. Shanks watched him go. He tried to picture the young Ace he once knew, but the image was fading. He could almost see what Luffy must look like now, tall and grown up. He was surely no longer a boy, but a man strong enough to defeat one of the seven greatest Pirates in the world. As Ace turned, smiled and waved before disappearing into the night, Shanks pictured Luffy's face, so much like his father's, smiling from under the straw hat.

_END To be continued in Part Two - "A Pirate's Life For Me - We Need A Musician!" which takes place just before Skypeia._


End file.
